NORTH CHARLESTON, SC- Travis Morin, a ninth round draft choice of the Washington Capitals in the 2004 entry draft recently celebrated his 25th birthday by being named to the ECHL American Conference All-Star team for the second consecutive season. He was named as a starter for his conference team shortly before his early January birthday. He is in his second season with South Carolina.
Morin sees his all star recognition as testament to the overall quality of the Stingrays and his line mates. He has been teamed with rookie forwards Maxime Lacroix and Michael Dubic for most of the season although; call-ups have caused some recent line adjustments.
ON being named to the all star game he said in a recent interview with PHN that “Obviously it feels good to be recognized”. However, I think of it as a tribute to our hockey team and how good we are.”
The modest center understates his value to the Stingrays. He scored 34 goals and 50 assists in the 2007-08 season. He followed up with 10 playoff goals and 7 assists in 20 post season games. This year his 44 points in 35 games includes 11 goals and 33 assists. His work at center is one of the reasons why Lacroix, with 18 goals and Dubic, with 20 goals, got off to quick starts and have had great offensive seasons to date.
Morin, a left hand shot who wears number 27 on the ice, not only excels individually, but as a play maker, helps those around him excel. “I haven’t changed my way of playing since last year but I have guys with me that can also shoot the puck so the assists sometimes just come from the fact that collectively we put the puck on net so much.”
Regardless of the reason, he is second in the ECHL in assists trailing the league leader
Photo T. Morin Courtesy South Carolina Stingrays
Importantly, as he was in college Morin, remains an “honest hockey player” giving the same intense effort at both ends of the ice. Used by Coach Jared Bednar to kill penalties and well as on the power play Morin, works as hard on defense as he does in the offensive zone. For example, while he led his Minnesota State University-Mankato team in scoring his senior year, he also had a reputation for blocking shots and winning crucial face offs. He led the Stingrays with a plus/minus rating of +16 last season. He leads the Rays again so far this season with an identical +16 rating.
Morin, who received his college degree in management, played high school hockey in his home town of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. He signed a letter of intent with Minnesota State University-Mankato in his senior year in high school. However, based on the advice of the college coaching staff and other advisors he delayed entry to college for one year to play in the Tier One United States Hockey League, a Junior Development League.
The USHL is similar to the major junior leagues in Canada, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey, League, the Western Hockey League and the Ontario Hockey League with two exceptions. First, USHL players are not paid and thus retain their amateur status. Second, their career track is geared towards college hockey first and pro hockey later while the major junior leagues in Canada are pro hockey feeder programs.
Morin indicated that he decided to play a year in the USHL with the Chicago Steel “to allow myself some time to mature and to experience playing against the quicker, stronger, larger players in junior hockey versus high school. I also experienced the longer season and my first time living away from home and a lot of game related travel. It was a great transition between high school and college.”
Despite being drafted in 2004 by Washington Morin, skated a full four years with the MSU-Mankato Mavericks members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. He had an excellent senior year season when he produced a scoring total of 17-22-39 in 38 games and was a second-team All-WCHA selection. He was also a co-captain for the team his senior year. Overall, he posted career numbers of 58-75-133 in 151 games. After graduation in 2007, he signed a two year contract with the Capitals and was eventually assigned to South Carolina.
Morin is working hard on the two areas he understands that he needs to work on to advance his pro hockey career. Since playmaking often comes from tenacity and work in the corners and along the boards, he is cognizant of the need to bulk up both in terms of weight and strength. Year round workouts and attention to nutrition have added 10 lbs to his 6’2” frame and he now weighs in at 195 lbs.
He is also focusing on his skating. Regardless of his focus on skating, he is ever dangerous on the ice. He skates with his legs and his head. Last season, he led the ECHL with six shorthanded goals, evidence that his skating style gets him where he needs to be.
Morin’s consistency and two-way play over two seasons will be his ticket to promotion sometime in the future. Low country hockey fans have mixed feelings as his contributions to the Stingrays make him invaluable but they root for his long-term career progression. Meanwhile, the advice for fans is to enjoy the present and his game by game contributions.
Contact the author at Phil.Brand@prohockeynews.com
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